Poke Bowls 101: Building a Winner

If there's one non-negotiable when it comes to a great poke bowl, it's this: fresh-caught ahi. Not "fresh" as in the grocery store sticker, actually fresh — caught that day or close to it. It can be hard to track down sometimes, and it's not always cheap when you do, but once you've had the real thing, there's no going back.

I got lucky on this front. I married a bad-ass fisherman, so when he lands an ahi or another tuna, I get one text: "poke bowls!" That's it. That's the whole message. And I know exactly what's happening that night.

My husband's the one who actually makes the poke in our house, and he always does two versions. The first is the traditional route: shoyu, sweet onion, rock salt, a little sesame oil and some oyster sauce — simple, clean, and lets the fish do the talking.

The second is his spicy mayo version, built on that same base but with unagi sauce stirred in for massive umami flavor, a good dollop of sriracha (however spicy you like) plus just enough mayo to get that creamy texture without drowning the fish. My mouth waters every time I think about this one!

From there, it's all about the toppings. Fresh avocado is a must, and tobiko — those little fish eggs — adds this great pop of texture and saltiness on top. We finish everything with diced green onion and a generous sprinkle of furikake (that seaweed-and-sesame-seed mix) that ties the whole bowl together.

Two kinds of poke, a good scoop of rice & all the toppings — that's a winner in our house every time.